Accident Prone
by TheArrow
Summary: K/K: A FluffTastic Fic. Kenshin and Kaoru seem to be falling all over each other lately. Literally. How many times can you end up in someone's arms before it stops being an accident? Please R&R! ^_^ CHAPTER 5 UP!!!
1. CH1: How Kenshin Says, Good Morning

Hello and thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on my first RK fic!! I must warn you now, this is intended to be humorous, so if you read something that you *think* is supposed to be funny, please go ahead and laugh and make me feel good ^_^ Also, this will be a flufftastic fic, got that? F-L-U-F-F. So if you're one of the more sophisticated readers on ff.net in search of a good fireside tale with plenty of substance, then you may want to locate the closest emergency exit, keeping in mind that the nearest exit may be behind you. I am covering my own ass ahead of time should we encounter any blatant OOCness, sappy sweetness, or humor-that-just-can't-be-called-humorous-ness in the course of this fic.

That said, all standard disclaimers apply. The closest I come to actually owning Rurouni Kenshin are the two DVDs I've 'borrowed indefinitely' from a friend. I borrowed them because I don't have the money to get them on my own (hint, hint…this means I'm too poor to be sued!!)

And most importantly, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! Pretty please?? I'd love ya forever if ya did!!

**CH1: How Kenshin Says 'Good Morning'**

She was warm…

She was very, very warm…

Grinning lazily, Kaoru turned over in her sleep, her mind blanketed by a deep soothing heat, and the feel of her own blood pulsing in her brain with an evocative rhythm like a distant drum. As her mind wavered in and out of early-morning consciousness, images of her dreams played across her closed eyelids. She couldn't quite remember just what she'd been dreaming about exactly, but the imprints her dream left behind made her feel languidly satisfied. 

_Mmm…fuzzy…_

Then she heard it. A voice echoing through her mind…a masculine voice, with a sweet, pleasing timbre that settled in her ear and made her own voice crave to be used, to respond. The voice was calling her, speaking words she couldn't quite comprehend. Such a gentle, inquisitive voice…

"Mmm…" Kaoru turned her head further into her pillow. _Dream…what a nice dream this is._ Then she heard the voice call her name.

_Kaoru…_

_Kaoru…_

The honeyed male voice only added to the thick miasma of Kaoru's dreaming. She curled her toes and snuggled further into the futon.

_Kaoru!_

She turned her head, as the voice suddenly seemed to come _from_ somewhere, rather than being all around her. Eyes still closed, she reached outwards, drawn by another unintelligible stream of words that fell on her ears like gentle rain. A smile played upon her lips. _Those tones…they seem so familiar somehow…mmmmm…someone is leaning over me…talking so sweetly…_

Without opening her eyes, Kaoru felt her hands come in contact with folds of cloth. She allowed herself a wicked grin. Twisting her fingers into it, she pulled forward the owner of that delicious, spine-tickling voice.

"Closer…" she mumbled, still half-dreaming. She sat up halfway and then pulled whoever-it-was downward, nearly on top of her, wrapping one arm around a head and sliding her fingers through lengths of hair.

"Oro?!"

Kaoru's eyes snapped open as the soothing voice broke and jumped an octave, wavering in surprise. Looking down, she saw a tangle of red hair spreading messily over her bound breasts, as she clutched an all-too-familiar face into the opening of her yukata. She froze, breathing hard, stunned into silence, until she heard the figure in her arms make a slightly choked noise in the back of his throat. She immediately released her victim, flushing red with embarrassment.

"K-K-Kenshin?"

Kenshin kept his eyes carefully averted as Kaoru hastily re-adjusted her robes. "Ah, um, g-gomen, gomen nasai Kaoru-dono! I would never have dreamt of invading your privacy, indeed I would not, but you see you slept in so late that I feared you might be ill, indeed I did." Kenshin knew he was babbling. He carefully extracted himself from Kaoru's bedclothes, and stood up, fidgeting, while keeping his eyes trained completely on the floor. "I, uh, have saved some breakfast for you, if you wish." He began backing away towards the door, fearing Kaoru's wrath at his having invaded her room, not to mention the fact that they had been in a rather, ahem, compromising position only minutes earlier, and that her embarrassment would more than likely fuel the fire of her anger.

"Ah…um, thank you, Kenshin." Kaoru had finally regained her ability to speak, although her face was still a VERY vivid shade of red. 

Kenshin looked up, with wide, violet eyes. Why hadn't Kaoru-dono thrown a screaming fit at his invasion of her privacy? Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kenshin gave her a small, half-smile before bumping into the wall. Clumsily, he slid the door open, still wary to turn his back totally on the petite woman before him who was blushing very prettily with downcast eyes and seemed only to be awaiting his exit. Still rather flustered, Kenshin 'Oro-ed' under his breath as he nearly tripped while he backed his way out of the room. Sliding the door shut again, Kenshin carefully leaned back against the frame, and miserably cast his eyes upwards. For a split second, he had imagined that Kaoru was fully awake, and he had lacked the willpower to extricate himself from her embrace. Running a hand through his already-tousled hair, he groaned inwardly. _What must she think of me?_ With a defeated sigh, he made his way back to the kitchen.

*************************************

Still sitting upright on her futon, Kaoru let her head sink forward into her hands. _Kami-sama…what must he think of me?! Ugh! Of all the days for me to go and dream something so…so…_Kaoru looked up in consternation. _Just what in the world WAS I dreaming about anyway? Pull yourself together Kaoru! It was just some dream…_Pulling the blankets aside, Kaoru slowly stood up and stretched. _Yeah,_ she thought wryly, _just some dream that felt very, very good, and ended with Kenshin in your bed, as you nearly suffocated him with your—nevermind._ Kaoru blushed red again as she recalled the sight of Kenshin's face being pressed so intimately against her. Normally, she would have thrown a fit of some sort to cover her embarrassment, blaming Kenshin for being a hentai, or a baka, or just about ANYTHING to get the attention off of her, but the fact of the matter remained that *she* was the one who had grabbed Kenshin, *she* was the one who had pulled him on top of her, and it was *her* hand that had been wantonly pressing his face into her—_Enough!_ Kaoru shook her head angrily at herself as she dressed. _It was just an accident, that's all. It's not like I *knew* that it was him._ She yanked a comb through her hair. _However, when you realized just WHO you had pulled into your bed, it wasn't exactly your first instinct to release him now was it?_ a voice prodded. _N-nani?! NO! Bad Kaoru! Mustn't think like that! Bad!_ Kaoru slapped herself mentally. _Snap out of it, Kaoru no baka! You still have to eat breakfast with the man after all! What's the big deal anyway? It's just Kenshin…he'll understand…_Kaoru tried vainly to fight off her embarrassment, hoping that she need not grace the table with a face resembling a tomato.

Right. Just Kenshin.

Kenshin…__

_Oh Kami! KENSHIN!_ Kaoru flushed hopelessly red once more as the realization hit her that Kenshin, the gentle, honorable, polite-to-a-fault, devastatingly attractive (_Hey where did THAT come from?!)_ Rurouni had had his nose shamelessly pressed into her cleavage that very morning, by her very own hands! 

Miserably, Kaoru trudged towards the kitchen, hoping against hope that Sanosuke or even Yahiko were still eating, so that she might avoid an awkward breakfast with only Kenshin in the room.

***************************************

Sanosuke looked up from his third helping of food as Kenshin returned from Kaoru's room. His eyes didn't miss the somewhat dazed look in the Rurouni's eyes, nor did Kenshin's somewhat rumpled hair escape his notice. Watching as the red-haired man seemed to fidget more than necessary, Sanosuke raised an eyebrow as a thought entered his mind. _Kenshin said he was just going to wake Jou-chan up, but I wonder…_A small smirk graced his lips as he watched Kenshin intently. _I wonder just *HOW* he woke her up…Ah, but what am I thinking? This is Kenshin we're talking about here. He'd rather 'Oro!' himself to death than disrespect Kaoru. Still…something's going on…_Sano took another bite of fish and chewed contemplatively.

 "So Kenshin…"

Still lost in his thoughts, Kenshin responded dazedly. "Hn…yes?"

"What's with the hair?"

Kenshin's awareness returned but his eyes clouded over with confusion at Sano's question. Suddenly, a vision flashed before him: the not-so-distant memory of Kaoru fiercely twining her hands through his thick hair, her eyes shut, and grinning like an epicurean goddess, as she clutched him tightly to her heaving—

"Or-_ro!_"

Sanosuke's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he heard Kenshin mutter his favorite word with the kind of inflection that starkly contrasted with his usual mild-mannered tone. _Just what the hell happened? For crying out loud he was only back there for five minutes! Then again…it's amazing what you can do in just—HEY! Sanosuke, wake up! This is KENSHIN and KAORU for pity's sake!_ Shaking his head, Sano cleared his throat, hoping to regain the attention of Kenshin, who was currently staring off into space with a blush that seemed to be getting redder by the second.

"Oi…Kenshin."

The redhead blinked and shook himself out of his reverie. "My apologies, Sano. I drifted off for a moment, that I did. What were you saying?"

Sano smirked. "Your hair? I was just curious as to why you seem to have given up any grooming habits. Although I don't remember you looking quite so…disheveled…when you were making breakfast earlier."

Kenshin's eyes widened in embarrassment. "Oro!" He struggled with his unruly hair for a moment, trying to tame the disarray. "Ah, um, my thanks, Sano. I did not notice, indeed I did not." He attempted a placid smile.

Sano smirked again at Kenshin's obvious evasion of his inquiry, but said nothing, as Kaoru's form appeared in the doorway. Neither the surreptitious glances that passed between Kenshin and Kaoru, nor their subsequent blushes went unnoticed by Sanosuke.  

************************************************

Taking a deep breath, Kaoru stepped through the doorway to find out what kind of breakfast company was awaiting her. She nearly sighed out loud in relief when she saw Sano sitting holding what was probably a third or fourth helping of food. Hiding a frown, she absently noted that he always seemed to eat more when Kenshin did the cooking. A flash of red at the corner Kaoru's vision caught her attention, and she couldn't help but glance timidly over at Kenshin. She guiltily looked away when she found him looking back.

Sano nearly rolled his eyes at the pair of them. _These two are hopeless!_ He gave it up for a lost cause and resumed eating.

Kenshin was first to break the awkward silence. Speaking calmly, he greeted her with his usual disarming smile. "Good morning, Kaoru-dono. Won't you please sit down?" He motioned for her to take a seat next to Sano.

Kaoru, relieved that Kenshin was not trying to apologize about the 'incident' in front of Sano, smiled a weak but grateful smile in return. "Arigatou, Kenshin…" _Hopefully, he's already started to forget about this morning…_

Bringing over a bowl and chopsticks, Kenshin intended to prepare Kaoru's meal for her. _Hopefully, this morning is causing her no further distress…_"Here, Kaoru-dono, allow me to get your breast—GAH! I-I mean, your, um, ah, BREAKFAST for y—ORO!"

So much for 'no further distress.'

In the time it took for Kenshin's slip of the tongue to, well, slip off his tongue and slap both himself and Kaoru with the embarrassed realization of what he'd said, two things happened. First, both he and Kaoru invented seven new shades of red apiece, and second, in his flustered attempt to cover up his horrific error, he clumsily managed to empty the half-prepared bowl of food entirely into Kaoru's lap.

Kenshin froze.

Kaoru's eyes moved slowly from the bits of vegetables and fish adorning her lap up to the wide-eyed, violet gaze of one very panicked, very embarrassed, red-haired Rurouni.

Their faces were mere inches apart…

A/N: Soooooo….is anyone out there interested??? Does anyone think this is worth continuing??? PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW!!! ^_^;; Arigatou!! Ja ne!


	2. CH2: Killer Tofu, Killer Vegetables, and...

O.O!!! Over 30 reviews for one chapter?! *Gapes in shock* *Picks jaw up off desk* *Grins like mad*

WOW…all I can say is….THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! This is much more than I even dared to hope for!! ^_^

Oh, and to clear up a little bit of nothing…This is actually the second fanfiction I've written, but the first one I've done for Rurouni Kenshin. My other story is an Inuyasha fic called "Hits The Spot!" but I've posted it under a different name (Shegan). It's still a work in progress…go check it out if you're so inclined ^_^

KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING!! I LOVE 'EM!!!

Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.

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**Bringing over a bowl and chopsticks, Kenshin intended to prepare Kaoru's meal for her. _Hopefully, this morning is causing her no further distress…_"Here, Kaoru-dono, allow me to get your breast—GAH! I-I mean, your, um, ah, BREAKFAST for y—ORO!"**

**So much for 'no further distress.'**

**In the time it took for Kenshin's slip of the tongue to, well, slip off his tongue and slap both himself and Kaoru with the embarrassed realization of what he'd said, two things happened. First, both he and Kaoru invented seven new shades of red apiece, and second, in his flustered attempt to cover up his horrific error, he clumsily managed to empty the half-prepared bowl of food entirely into Kaoru's lap.**

**Kenshin froze.**

**Kaoru's eyes moved slowly from the bits of vegetables and fish adorning her lap up to the wide-eyed, violet gaze of one very panicked, very embarrassed, red-haired Rurouni.**

**Their faces were mere inches apart…**

**___________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**CH2: Killer Tofu, Killer Vegetables, and Laundry**

The tension in the air was thick. Kenshin gulped audibly as he watched a conflict of emotions flash through Kaoru's eyes. Just as they each opened their mouths to say something, a garbled, gurgling noise, accompanied by much stomping of feet and flailing of arms, caught their attention. 

Sanosuke was choking.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru stared for a moment at the roosterhead, slightly dumbfounded. Pointing wildly to the back of his neck, Sano wheezed painfully as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "H-h-hel…p…!!!"

Kenshin's eyes went wide with shock as he finally caught on. Sanosuke was thwacked forcefully on the back until he coughed violently and gagged up the piece of killer tofu that had been threatening to asphyxiate him. He sucked in air noisily and promptly flopped to the ground, shaking.

Panicked, his two friends were at his side quickly, the mess on Kaoru's kimono forgotten. Kaoru pulled Sanosuke into her arms, trying to prop him up, her eyes filled with concern. "Sano?! Sano! Are you all right?! Should we call for Doctor Gen—" Kaoru stopped and narrowed her gaze at the shaking form of the spiky-haired man who still had tears streaming down his cheeks.  

He was laughing.

That damn, baka, roosterhead was LAUGHING.

"Oro?" Kenshin peered over at his friend. Both he and Kaoru were thoroughly confused. They both jumped when Sanosuke finally lost control and pointed at them as he began roaring with laughter.

Kenshin sweatdropped.

Kaoru's eye started to twitch.

"BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAA—*gasp* *splutter*—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—OOF!!!" Sano doubled over as Kaoru shoved him away and started pounding him with her small fists. "HAHAH—OW! HEY! HAHAHAHA, JOU-CH—OUCH! AGH! ACK!" Sano twisted and rolled over trying to fend off Kaoru's vicious attack while still suffering from his laughing fit.

"BAKA!" *thwack* Kaoru hit him upside the head. "ROOSTER NO BAKA!!" *thud* *thump* "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" *whump* *pound* *whack* *thud* "YOU NEARLY GAVE KENSHIN AND I HEART ATTACKS BECAUSE YOU ALMOST DIED JUST NOW AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS ROLL AROUND ON THE GROUND AND LAUGH YOU BIG DUMB JERK?! AAAARGH!!!" Kaoru struggled against Kenshin's arms as they encircled her own from behind, pulling her up away from Sano, who had by this time gone quite swirly-eyed and was sporting an assortment of bumps and bruises. Recovering as best he could, Sano struggled to his feet. Despite his injuries, he began chuckling again as he looked at his friends.

"Heh heh, AHEM! So, Missy," Sano tried unsuccessfully to maintain a straight face, "It sounds to me like Kenshin here had already served you before he even got your *COUGH* breakfast."

Kenshin's eyes went flat and he frowned.

Kaoru's glare was murderous.

Sanosuke grinned like a bastard.

Kenshin dropped his arms away from Kaoru's.

Chaos ensued.

********************************************************************************

:::25 Minutes Later:::

Kenshin, crouched over a tub of soapy water, hummed absently to himself as he began scrubbing diligently at the laundry. He allowed himself a small smile as he recalled the sight of Kaoru chasing Sanosuke around the dojo brandishing a large, overgrown burdock root like a bokken. _Kaoru-dono may be smaller than Sanosuke, but she is just as fierce when angered, indeed she is. I wonder if it hurt very much when she finally broke the root over his head like that…_True, he'd been intending to use it in that evening's meal, but somehow…the sacrifice had been worth it. Snapping open a wet towel, he grinned again.

"Unnnnghh…Get that…stupid smile…off your face…laundry man…" Sanosuke groaned from his spot on the ground as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly. He'd finally been knocked unconscious by the monstrous root-weapon, landing about three feet from Kenshin's wash tub. Lucky for him he'd tripped over a rock in the yard just as Missy took a rather vicious last swing, so the blow only glanced off the back of his head and broke the root, rather than taking his head off completely. _Yeah, lucky me…_

"Oh, so you're conscious are you?" Kenshin asked pleasantly. He was feeling quite a bit more upbeat after breakfast. And he'd _almost_ forgotten about the scene in Kaoru's room earlier that morning. 

 "Yeah, no thanks to you. Did you have to hand her that damned root?" Sano got to his feet.

"You should not have teased Kaoru-dono, that you should not. She was already embarrassed after…" Kenshin's voice trailed off, not wanting to remember his slip-up.

"Hey you should be THANKFUL I started choking on that piece of tofu…it got her attention away from you didn't it? Besides, how could I help it? The expressions on your faces were priceless. Although technically you guys should be apologizing to me since you're the ones who made me choke in the first place." Sanosuke smirked. "I mean c'mon Kenshin. After that choice blunder of yours, YOU could've been the one getting beaten with a vegetable!"

Kenshin sighed in defeat. "Yes I know, Sano." He brightened quickly. "But then if I had been knocked unconscious, no one would have done the laundry, indeed they would not!" He smiled cheerfully and resumed scrubbing.

Sanosuke facefaulted. Remembering his earlier curiosity, he folded his arms and asked bluntly, "So what exactly did you do in her room when you went to wake her up this morning? You two were blushing like a couple of kids when she came out." He cast a sidelong glance at the Rurouni whose arms were encased in soapy water up to the elbows.

Kenshin blushed redly, but before he could answer, a shrill yell shook the walls of the dojo. "KENNNNSHIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!"

***********************************************************************

Kaoru fumed. She'd been so caught up in giving Sano what-for earlier that she'd completely forgotten the mess Kenshin had made of her kimono. Yes, it had been an accident, but why hadn't he immediately offered to take her kimono and clean it before the stain and smell set in? _Because that would've meant undressing you out in the open, in broad daylight, in front of baka roosterhead,_ a little voice piped up.Kaoru sighed. _Oh. Right. But…I should still be angry at him because…because, um…_she tried to think of a good reason. _Because it was very obvious that his little 'wake-up call' was still fresh in his mind?_ The little voice teased. _AGH! SHUT UP!_ _I shouldn't be having thoughts like this! _Kaoru began questioning her own sanity when she heard a timid knock at her door.

"Kaoru-dono? Is something the matter? Is everything all right in there? Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice came out muffled.

"Um, ah, no, Kenshin, nothing's wrong," Kaoru had calmed down a bit and was beginning to wish she hadn't screamed so shrilly. "It's, um, well I was wondering if you could possibly clean my kimono after I change. Onegai?" She struggled to keep the waver out of her voice.

"Oh! G-gomen nasai Kaoru-dono! I'd almost forgotten! I'll clean it for you right away, indeed I will. I have already started the washing, that I have, so simply bring it outside when you are ready." Kenshin's voice trailed off as he walked away.

Sighing, Kaoru slipped out of her soiled kimono and into a new one. What else could _possibly_ go wrong??

***********************************************************************

A/N: Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. Heh.

***********************************************************************

Brooding inwardly, Kaoru made her way outside. She looked over at Kenshin's hunched form as he bent over the wash tub with his back to her. Walking towards him, she mused to herself, _It's strange for a man to take to women's work so easily…cooking, cleaning, taking care of children…mou, he's more of a woman than I am sometimes! _Kaoru glanced up just as Kenshin stood to wring out an article of clothing. A faint hint of pink stole across her cheeks as she noticed the movement of the muscles in his bared forearms and in his shoulders under his gi. His lithe hands grasped the cloth firmly, water sluicing through his fingers as he wrung it out a second time. Kaoru reddened further as she contemplated those hands. _Well, maybe he's not so very feminine…_

Caught up in her state of distraction, Kaoru failed to notice the rock jutting up from the ground directly in front of her. Had she been paying more attention earlier, she would have realized that it was the same rock that had saved Sanosuke's head from her post-breakfast wrath. Then again, when you're flying about in an indignant rage waving a burdock root over your head, some things are bound to escape your notice.

Opening her mouth to speak, Kaoru only managed a small gasp as she tripped over the rock. Kenshin turned just in time to see Kaoru falling towards him, open-mouthed, with a look of total surprise on her face, as she body-slammed into him. 

"Kaoru-do—ORO!!" 

Kenshin managed to bring his arms up in an attempt to catch her, but the momentum of her body carried them both sailing into the tub behind him.

*SPLASHHH*

Coughing and spluttering, their frenzied attempts to get out of the tub without adding insult to injury only resulted in getting them more stuck. Kenshin's gi had flapped open, and in an effort to get off of him Kaoru pushed against the lean muscles of his chest. Two seconds later, she fell against him with a soft "oof!" as her hands slipped against his wet skin, slick with soapy water, their faces only inches apart for the second time that day. Breathing heavily, they locked eyes. Kaoru, completely flustered, took no notice of the water that was seeping into her kimono. Kenshin tried to ignore the fact that the wet silk felt more like wet skin against him and that Kaoru's face was hovering above his, tiny droplets of water dripping from her hair, down her cheeks and across her parted lips. The only thought that registered was _Oro…_

"Allow me…Kaoru-dono…" he said rather dazedly. Kaoru's eyes went wide as he circled her waist with one arm, his hand settling in the small of her back and pressing her against him. Though surprised, she found she didn't have the will to resist whatever he was about to do. Pushing against the tub with his free arm, Kenshin attempted to lever them both out of the tub at once, hoping that Kaoru would remain still. He was both relieved and nervous when her only movement was to brace herself against him by pressing her palms into his chest. He was caught by the look of disappointment that flashed through her eyes when they were finally standing again and he released her. _Disappointment?_ No, he must have been imagining it, that he was.

Kaoru fought to keep the disappointment out of her eyes when she realized that Kenshin, ever the gentleman, was really only trying to get them both out of the tub without further incident. Still looking dumbfounded at Kenshin, Kaoru felt her hands move slightly as he inhaled. She looked down and whipped her hands away quickly, realizing they were still planted firmly against his bare chest, as his gi was still gaping open. Her face burned crimson. "Ah…g-gomen nasai, Kenshin."

He chuckled lightly, running a hand through the wet hair plastered to his neck. "I suppose I deserved that, that I did, Kaoru-dono, for ruining your kimono earlier." He smiled warmly.

Kaoru smiled back and was about to respond when a loud, obnoxiously familiar voice cut through the air. "Geeze, busu!! We all know you're so in luuuuuuve with Kenshin, but you don't have go throwing yourself at him like that!! It won't make you any less ugly!!" Yahiko was grinning widely from the dojo gate. He'd witnessed the whole thing.

"YAHIKO! I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!!" Kaoru lunged in Yahiko's direction, brushing hard against Kenshin and knocking him back into the tub.

"OROOO!!!" *SPLASH*

 Yahiko set off at a run, laughing and yelling out loudly, "HEY SANOSUKE! KENSHIN AND THE RACCOON JUST TOOK A BATH TOGETHER!! HAHAHAHA!!!"

"OOOH, YAHIKO NO BAKA!!! YOU JUST BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND A BURDOCK ROOT!!!!" Kaoru raced after him, leaving Kenshin sopping wet and forgotten in the tub.

A/N: And there's Chapter 2!! Whoohoo!! Sooooo, what d'ya think?! R&R everyone!! It makes me very very happy!!!^_^ 


	3. CH3: Something About This Fic And Food

O.O;;   ::gapes once again::  This is unbelievable! So many reviews and only 2 chapters?! ARIGATOU MINNA!!! It's really very encouraging and makes me want to write more!! Keep 'em coming please!! I'm a rather sporadic writer/updater, just to warn you, because school tends to get in my way a LOT, but I will do my best to keep this story updated on a regular basis…and to finally update my Inuyasha fic…sheesh…I always feel like I'm running behind on something…

Ah well, on with the fic!

Oh, almost forgot. DISCLAIMER: I no own, you no sue.

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**He chuckled lightly, running a hand through the wet hair plastered to his neck. "I suppose I deserved that, that I did, Kaoru-dono, for ruining your kimono earlier." He smiled warmly.**

**Kaoru smiled back and was about to respond when a loud, obnoxiously familiar voice cut through the air. "Geeze, busu!! We all know you're so in luuuuuuve with Kenshin, but you don't have go throwing yourself at him like that!! It won't make you any less ugly!!" Yahiko was grinning widely from the dojo gate. He'd witnessed the whole thing.**

**"YAHIKO! I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!!" Kaoru lunged in Yahiko's direction, brushing hard against Kenshin and knocking him back into the tub.**

**"OROOO!!!" *SPLASH***

** Yahiko set off at a run, laughing and yelling out loudly, "HEY SANOSUKE! KENSHIN AND THE RACCOON JUST TOOK A BATH TOGETHER!! HAHAHAHA!!!"**

**"OOOH, YAHIKO NO BAKA!!! YOU JUST BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND A BURDOCK ROOT!!!!" Kaoru raced after him, leaving Kenshin sopping wet and forgotten in the tub.**

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**CH3: Something About This Fic and Food…**

Luckily for Yahiko, there were no more oversized vegetables to be found at the dojo that day. Kaoru, however, who was still feeling quite indignant and miffed at having to change kimonos twice in the span of a few hours, not to mention having to deal with the rest of the morning's humiliations, had made up for it by training him especially hard. Yahiko got the message and decided to hold off on the snide remarks and taunts…at least until dinner.

_Well,_ thought Kaoru as she watched the last of her students leave through the dojo gate, _at least the remainder of today passed relatively uneventfully_. This was due to the fact that they had both taken special care to avoid each other for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, not so much out of embarrassment anymore, but out of a sense of self-preservation. _As long as you don't count bumping into him in the hall and knocking those clean clothes out of his hands…and then knocking heads when we both tried to pick everything up._ Kaoru rubbed a slightly sore spot on her forehead ruefully. _And then accidentally grabbing his hand instead of the towel we were both aiming for…And then the other incident in the kitchen…_Kaoru blushed redly as she remembered what happened...

~*~*~*FLASHBACK*~*~*~

Kaoru, still wet from the washtub encounter, had made her way back to her room to change out of the second ruined kimono of the morning. Remembering that she would have students coming later in the day and not wanting to risk yet another kimono, she slipped into her training gi. Leaving her room to go to the kitchen in search of food (since none of her original breakfast had ever really made it to her mouth), she paused as she heard raised voices coming from outside. _Sano and Yahiko…arguing again about something dumb most likely…_She sighed as she entered the kitchen, stopping suddenly upon seeing Kenshin already standing there, struggling to wrestle a fish away from the cat. She smiled to herself at the sight of the fearsome Battousai now doing battle with a small feline. Sensing a presence, Kenshin turned abruptly to face her, and then smiled warmly, the fish and feline forgotten. 

"Ah, Kaoru-dono, is there something I could get you?"

Kaoru noticed he'd changed clothes, but his hair was still a bit matted and slightly damp. She felt apologetic at having abandoned him in the tub earlier to chase after Yahiko. "Well, I am a little hungry since I kind of forgot about breakfast…" Her voice trailed off sheepishly, not wanting to embarrass either of them by saying too much. Kenshin blushed anyway, which Kaoru subconsciously registered in the back of her brain to be undeniably endearing. "Um, and gomen, Kenshin…for leaving you in the tub earlier…it's just that Yahiko made me so mad, calling me busu and saying how much I lo—" Kaoru stopped, realizing what she'd almost said, "—and, um, everything," she finished lamely.

Kenshin chuckled good-naturedly. "Yes, that one is definitely a troublemaker he is. It sounds as though he and Sano are causing a stir as we speak." Kenshin looked towards a window. The sounds of the argument could still be heard clearly. He shifted his attention back to Kaoru. "I was about to begin with preparations for lunch I was, so if you can stand to wait, it should be ready in a short while. In the meantime I can prepare you some tea, if you would like, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru smiled, the earlier mishaps and her bruised pride nearly forgotten by the open friendliness of the Rurouni. He seemed perfectly willing to forget the events of the disastrous morning, and was now focusing on simply easing Kaoru's nerves as well. "Tea would be wonderful, Kenshin. Arigatou."

:::A Few Minutes Later:::

Kaoru having finished her tea, had stood up to thank Kenshin again and go prepare to meet her students, when a commotion erupted outside. Instinctively drawing close to Kenshin, Kaoru eyed the doorway behind him warily. Without warning, Yahiko burst through the doorway, running, with a raging Sanosuke in hot pursuit.

"GIMME BACK MY MONEY YA DAMN BRAT! I WAS GONNA GO GAMBLING TODAY!"

 Kenshin, who had sensed no dangerous ki, had not gone into 'battle-mode' and therefore did not manage to get out of the way as Yahiko and Sano hurtled towards him. The small samurai-in-training slammed into him, then scrambled up again to race away, shouting an apology over his shoulder. A split-second later, Sanosuke brushed by Kenshin, effectively destroying his balance completely and knocking him over.

Straight into Kaoru.

"ORO!!" Kenshin exclaimed as they landed, his body covering hers. Stunned, neither of them moved for a few critical moments. It was just enough time for them to both realize that their bodies were quite literally crushed against each other, and that, because Kaoru had turned her head at the last second, her lips were now resting very lightly against the side of Kenshin's face. He tensed when he felt her lips move as she breathily said his name into his ear. He tried to ignore the way her warm breath tickled along his jaw. Still numb with shock and other more subconscious feelings, Kenshin barely registered the words coming out of Kaoru's mouth.

"N-nani?" he stuttered.

"Get..off…" Kaoru repeated herself. "Can't…breathe…"

His mind snapping into awareness, Kenshin lifted himself off of Kaoru immediately, apologizing profusely and offering a hand to help her up. She'd had the wind knocked out of her and hadn't quite recovered. Although in Kaoru's mind, her shortness of breath was mainly attributed to being crushed under Kenshin's body with her lips grazing his skin…

~*~*~*END EXCESSIVELY LONG FLASHBACK*~*~*~ 

OK, so maybe their self-preservation instincts weren't exactly what they should be.

Kaoru blushed for the umpteenth time that day as she remembered how it felt to be smothered by Kenshin's weight. _AGH! Baka! Quit thinking about it! He probably thinks you planned that whole episode, seeing as how you were practically in his arms kissing him! _Kaoru narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Hadn't Kenshin been the one to land on HER though? _I wonder if HE planned that whole thing with Yahiko and Sano…? Eh, but what am I thinking? It's KENSHIN for crying out loud! He would never do anything like that. No, never…he never would. Not to a friend. He just doesn't see me THAT way. _Kaoru frowned. _Hmph…and why the hell not?! *I* could see him THAT way—Er…I mean…Oh, Kami-sama, forget it…_ Sighing in frustration and feeling too tired to contemplate just what it was that she really wanted, she headed back into the dojo to clean up before dinner.  

*****************************************************************

Kenshin began molding rice balls with his hands, staring off into space meditatively. He sighed. It had certainly been an 'eventful' day, though he wasn't entirely sure if he had one more blush left in his body. Suddenly a clap of thunder boomed over head, making him cast a wary eye to the heavens. _Perhaps I shouldn't tempt my fate…_Granted, he'd always held Kaoru in high regard and had always felt a certain protectiveness towards her…_But recently, I've been noticing…things…_

Things. 

Little things, like the wisps of hair that never seemed to stay put not matter how firmly Kaoru tied her hair back... 

Cute things, like the way she scrunched her nose when she pouted…

Female things, like the lilt of her laughter, and the smooth curve of her neck, and the way she bit her lower lip when she was nervous…

That lip had taken a lot of abuse today.

And then there were *other* things…things that he'd grown VERY aware of that day, thanks in part to their repeated 'accidents'. Like the softness of her hair…and the way her small hands felt against his skin…and the way her breathing quickened whenever they got close…and the way her body—Kenshin swallowed, then shook his head. _Agh! Kenshin no baka! You'll stop right there you will! This is Kaoru-dono, whom you've sworn to protect! You shouldn't be thinking about her hair or her hands or her lips or her—_

"Oi, Kenshin, I'm sure that whatever the rice did, it didn't deserve that kind of treatment."

Kenshin whipped his head up to see Sanosuke standing over him, smirking. His gaze dropped to his hands, expecting to see a nicely-rounded rice ball.

Unfortunately for the rice ball, it couldn't quite hold up to thoughts of Kaoru's hair, and hands, and lips, and other *things* either. Lost in his musings, Kenshin had successfully squeezed the rice ball into a sticky white mess that now coated his hands. 

*******************************************************

A/N: If you see a rather raunchy joke hidden somewhere in those last two sentences, I will neither confirm nor deny. ^_^;; *Whistles nonchalantly.*  

*******************************************************

Guiltily, Kenshin looked back up at Sano. "Ah, um, perhaps I should go clean up…" Sano only smirked again as Kenshin rose to his feet and walked away with a distant look in his eyes. He could pretty much guess what Kenshin had been meditating on. He'd seen the same look in Kaoru's eyes earlier when she'd absently walked into a table. _Honestly, you'd think that those two were bumping into each other on purpose. *snort* I mean I just don't get why they keep dancing around the issue. Huh, at this rate though, by the time they finally DO get the guts to just go for it, they'll be too bruised and injured to move. There's no way that they're both THAT clumsy on accident. _Sano folded his arms across his chest and looked down to the unfinished rice balls, pausing on the remnants of the one Kenshin had demolished. He laughed quietly to himself. Dinner promised to be an interesting affair. Especially if *HE* had anything to do with it.

A/N: SOOOOOOO…..CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THA ROOSTAH IS COOKIN'?!?! OK, so that was really lame. Please don't hold it against me…..I'm nearly delirious from lack of sleep and I think I'm going crazy. I mean c'mon…the rice balls joke should've tipped you off right then and there…

But I'm still sane enough to LOVE reviews! R&R and make me happy!!!


	4. NOT AN UPDATE! JUST A NOTE!

Sorry Minna! This is NOT an update, just an announcement!! ::Ducks as readers throw various projectiles at her::

I know it's been a while since I've updated this story and I'm VERRRRYYY VERY sorry about that, but school really threw me for a loop plus my computer nearly died. ANYWAY, enough excuses, I'm just making this little announcement to let you all know that the next chapter of Accident Prone will be uploaded and ready for you this weekend. *Cheers!!* ^_^

 I'm also working on another fic called SLAVE AND MASTER. I really hope some of you will check it out, because it's actually some of my better quality writing and I'm actually quite proud of it. ****However, if you are not a fan of **Yu-Gi-Oh!** and/or **yaoi**, then I suggest you don't read it (it's a strange fetish, I know. Sue me)****.

ALSO: For those of you who LOVE Misao and Aoshi (like me), I've got yet ANOTHER fic waiting in the wings. Hehehehe, Chapter one will be uploaded Saturday as well and OOOOOOH it's gonna be cute!!! I am VERRRRY excited about this fic. *Curls toes* ^_^ Wanna know what it's about? Here's 2 hints:

1)It's a semi-songfic, in that I got the idea while reading a manga online and listening to the song "Don't Shake My World" by Swirl 360.  Keep these lyrics in mind as Aoshi's POV:

"You like to come around with all your friends/You bring them over just to shake me again/I'm as helpless as a boy can be/I'm lookin' out at you and here's what I see/And your eyes are so big and so glossy to me/And your lips are so big and so juicy/And your fingers so eager to reach me/You're so tempted/You're so tempted…" Cuteness, ne?! ^_^ The title of the fic will be "Don't Shake My World" however I won't actually be using any song lyrics for writing the story itself, so rest easy all of you who are annoyed by songfics.

2)MAJOR HINT: If any of you have ever been to the manga scanlation site at Sakura-Crisis ( www.sakura-crisis.net ), you may have seen the story "Sensei!" which is the manga that gave me the idea for the fic! The premise will be similar, but don't worry, no paralleling storylines, I'm gonna try to be as original as possible.

Anyways, that's all for now! Sorry to have kept you guys waiting! Keep your eyes open come Saturday! ^_^ Ja!


	5. CH4: Dinner, and The Long Night Ahead

AND AS PROMISED, MINNA, I'VE FINALLY UPDATED!!! I know it's a bit late, but I didn't have as much time as I thought I would have this weekend *sweatdrops*

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And hopefully I'll be able to update more often now! ^_^ Please R&R!!! 

Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.

ON WITH THE FIC!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Guiltily, Kenshin looked back up at Sano. "Ah, um, perhaps I should go clean up…" Sano only smirked again as Kenshin rose to his feet and walked away with a distant look in his eyes. He could pretty much guess what Kenshin had been meditating on. He'd seen the same look in Kaoru's eyes earlier when she'd absently walked into a table. _Honestly, you'd think that those two were bumping into each other on purpose. *snort* I mean I just don't get why they keep dancing around the issue. Huh, at this rate though, by the time they finally DO get the guts to just go for it, they'll be too bruised and injured to move. There's no way that they're both THAT clumsy on accident. _Sano folded his arms across his chest and looked down to the unfinished rice balls, pausing on the remnants of the one Kenshin had demolished. He laughed quietly to himself. Dinner promised to be an interesting affair. Especially if *HE* had anything to do with it.**

**_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**CHAPTER 4: Dinner, And The Long Night Ahead**

Sanosuke smirked as he took another bite of rice. So far, he'd managed to trip Kaoru twice (directly into Kenshin's arms), he'd backed directly into Kenshin (who then backed directly into Kaoru) under the pretense of letting Yahiko pass with a hot plate, he'd motioned to pass a bowl to Kenshin, then directed it towards Kaoru, then took it back to heap more food on his plate, leaving Kaoru and Kenshin with their fingers intertwined briefly. Whistling nonchalantly, he passed the bowl back to the middle of the table, trying not to laugh outright at vividly red faces of his two dinner companions. Now, if only he could convince them to drink some sake with dinner…

Kaoru's face flamed. _What is going ON? It's almost as if the gods themselves are trying to embarrass me today! _

"Hey, you feelin' OK, Missy? Your face is kinda red." Sano kept his face as concerned-looking as possible.

"Gah…uh, I'm fine, Sano…I, uh, it just feels a little warm in here, but I'll be fine." Kaoru took another bite of food and did her best to combat her blush.

"Are you sure Kaoru-dono? I think Sano's right. You look a little flushed, that you do." Kenshin turned to Kaoru with a concerned expression. After a moment of hesitation, he placed his hands on either side of Kaoru's face, cupping her cheeks. She opened her eyes wide in surprise as he drew their faces close together, til his forehead rested against her gently.*

_WHAT IS HE DOING?_

"Just…checking your temperature…Kaoru-dono." Kenshin answered her unspoken question in a low, unsteady voice. The tips of his fingers ghosted across her skin as he absently tucked errant strands of hair behind her ears.

"Oh…" Kaoru breathed, her voice barely a whipser. The feel of Kenshin's nearness and his cool hands made her feel hot and cold all at once. She shivered and her eyes drifted shut.  

_Aww man, Kenshin, I thought you were gonna go for it that time! _Sanosuke snorted. Kenshin looked up quickly and guiltily dropped his hands away from Kaoru's face. Kaoru's eyes snapped open and her blush intensified. Sano felt like kicking himself. _Dammit, Sano! You just had to go and ruin their moment after you've been trying all evening to get those two to get over themselves and admit their feelings for each other. Huh, too bad Kenshin's such a decent guy…at this rate he'll be 'helping her up' and 'checking her temperature' for the next ten years! And somehow I don't think Missy is that patient. _He smirked smugly. _However, after what I've got planned for tonight, maybe we'll be able to cut that down to five years. _

"Um, is something funny Sanosuke?" Kaoru looked at him curiously, noting the slight smile on his face.

Sanosuke snapped back to reality. "Huh? Uh, no, it's nothing, uh, SAY has anyone seen Yahiko?" Sure enough, the boy had quietly disappeared from the table some time ago. Sano made a great show of looking around for him. "I think I'll go and, uh, look for him…make sure nothing's happened, y'know." He hurriedly got up and walked out of the room swiftly, leaving Kaoru and Kenshin staring after him in shock.

"What was _that_ all about?" Kaoru scratched her head in confusion. 

"I don't know, but something is definitely amiss, Kaoru-dono, indeed it is. I don't know why, but Sanosuke has been acting strangely this entire evening." Kenshin's voice was low. "He tripped you purposely tonight, and seemed amused when he backed into me, knocking me against you. Yahiko slipped out after only one helping…highly unusual for a boy his age to eat so little, that it is. And the biggest clue that something is afoot—"

"—is that Sanosuke was actually concerned about Yahiko's safety." Kaoru finished. She nodded. "You're right, Kenshin, there IS something going on. And if it involves those two, it can't be good." Her expression darkened. "Sano better not be running a gambling ring out of the back door again!! Maybe that's why he tried to trip me tonight!" She pounded decisively on the table. Kenshin winced, and scooted away in fear, clutching his chopsticks to him, but Kaoru didn't notice. "He wants me to be injured so that I won't catch him and his dirty dealing! And getting Yahiko involved?! Why that freeloading, s—"

"Now, now, Kaoru-dono, we don't know anything yet!" Kenshin, now out of striking range, felt the courage to speak up. "Perhaps we should just ask Sanosuke what's going on…?" He smiled nervously. Kaoru was scary when she got like this.

Kaoru's eye twitched. She was about to respond when suddenly…

"AAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kenshin and Kaoru both dropped their chopsticks and raced outside in the direction of the screams.

*******************************************************************

As soon as he'd cleared the doorway, Sanosuke raced to the storage house where Yahiko was waiting for him. Sticking his head inside, he called out to his paid accompl—er, 'partner in crime.' 

"Hey! Yahiko! You got it all ready?!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep your loincloth on, baka roosterhead, it's almost ready. I don't get why you're doing this anyway. The day Kenshin and Ugly get together—"

"—could very well be today if you don't screw up!" Sano stepped inside the storage house and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You may not understand it now—"

"What? Falling in luuuuuuuuuv?" Yahiko sneered.

"No, doing nice things for other people."

"Shut up!" 

"Look, are you done yet? This won't work if they decide to turn in for the evening because you took too long!" Sano looked back towards the main house.

"Why the heck did I have to do all this?!" Yahiko stumbled over a piece of dusty furniture as he made his way back to the doorway.

"Because I paid you."

"No you didn't! You only SAID you'd pay me!" Yahiko sneezed as he finally made it back outside.

Sanosuke ruffled the boy's hair. "Just put it on my tab." He smirked as Yahiko glared at him. "OK, now on the count of three, we're gonna scream as loud as we possibly can and then run and you run and hide behind the storage house, and I'll hide over in those bushes. When you see Kenshin and Kaoru come around the corner, we'll scream a second time to get them into the storage house." He stuck a finger in Yahiko's face. "As soon as you see them go inside, slam the doors shut and I'll bar them. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"And don't forget to throw your voice like I showed you!"

"Yeah, geeze, let's just get this over with," Yahiko grumbled and rolled his eyes.

"OK…on the count of three…One…Two…THREE!"

***********************************************************************

 Kenshin and Kaoru ran to the storage house. A second pair of screams erupted out of the darkness. Kaoru turned to Kenshin. 

"That sounded like Sano and Yahiko! In the storage house!"

Without a second thought, they both raced towards the open doors. Bursting through the entryway, sakabatou and bokken held aloft, Kenshin and Kaoru skidded to a halt. They both took up defensive stances, ready to fight for the lives of their friends when suddenly they heard a low giggle behind them.

_Yahiko?_

*WHAM!* 

Not moving, Kaoru glanced sidelong at Kenshin. "Please don't tell me that that was the sound of the doors slamming…"

Kenshin and Kaoru whipped their heads around to see two very firmly shut doors. "What is going on?! I could've sworn that was Yahiko's voice I heard just before the doors shut." Kaoru's voice quavered as she lowered her bokken helplessly. Wordlessly, Kenshin tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see him pointing at the far end of the room. Her eyes widened.

A small area at the back of the storage house had been cleared out, with furniture and other miscellaneous items stacked to create a small alcove. Moonlight streamed through the barred window, illuminating a small table and two small laterns. A plate of wagashi had been placed in the center of the table, along with some tea. A stack of folded blankets and pallets lay against one wall, with a odd-shaped object placed on top. Eyes full of wonder, Kaoru stepped slowly towards the unexpected scene. She inhaled deeply, noting a sweet fragrance in the air. Walking further into the makeshift alcove, she realized there was one other touch to the scene…

Everything had been scattered with sakura blossoms. 

Kaoru felt a slight blush tinge her cheeks. Whoever had prepared the setting had made their intentions clear with the delicate pink flowers: friendship, togetherness, the fleetingness of life…the sakura was a complex symbol, full of meaning. It couldn't possibly have been Yahiko who'd done this. The boy was too young and preoccupied with fighting to know about things like sakuras. Kaoru then noticed a small piece of paper placed beside the wagashi. Picking it up, she saw that the symbol for 'bad' had been scrawled quickly across it. She smiled inwardly. _Sanosuke…he must have planned all this with Yahiko so that Kenshin and I could spend some time together! I'll have to be sure to thank him before he goes home tonight. _

"Um…Kaoru-dono…?" a soft voice spoke up hesitantly from the darkness.

 Dreamily, she turned to Kenshin, who was still at the other end of the room, examining the doors. "Yes, Kenshin?"

"It seems we have been locked in," he said miserably, "that we have."

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"

***************************************************************************

After much effort, Kenshin had managed to restrain Kaoru from beating herself senseless trying to get the door open, narrowly avoiding a few blows himself. Grumbling about baka roosterheads, burdock roots, and other things that made Kenshin wince, Kaoru allowed herself to be guided back to the table. Despite their situation, Kenshin kept a cheerful disposition, and began pouring the tea, chatting conversationally, his face highlighted in the dim lantern light and the paleness of the moon.

"Well at least Sanosuke and Yahiko didn't leave us to starve, that they did not! I can't remember the last time I had wagashi. I wonder where Sano got the money to pay for it," he mused as he happily bit into a cake.

"He probably just convinced Tae to put it on his tab…the freeloader," Kaoru mumbled indignantly. She folded her arms and leaned against the wall, pouting. 

Kenshin pushed her tea towards her. "Come now, Kaoru-dono, it seems that Sanosuke and Yahiko put so much effort into this. The least we could do is enjoy it! Here, have some cake, won't you?"

Kaoru sighed in resignation. She reached for her tea, sipping slowly. _So maybe it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be. I mean, I still get to spend time with Kenshin…just…a lot MORE time than I thought. I guess he's right. All we can do is make the best of this. And I suppose it could definitely be worse than tea and wagashi._ A slight gust of wind blew through the window, causing some of the flower petals to swirl up into the air. A few landed in Kaoru's tea. She wrinkled her nose and began picking them out. _Stupid flowers…_

Kenshin stole a surreptitious glance at Kaoru as he took another sip of tea. He hid a smile. _She looks so lovely in the moonlight… _  

Kaoru frowned in frustration as the petals refused to unstick themselves from her fingers. _Stupid, stupid flowers!_

Another gust of wind blew through the window. Kenshin noticed Kaoru's displeased look. _She must be cold. Perhaps we should…go to bed…_Kenshin's thoughts lingered on the idea just long enough for him to choke on his tea. _SEPARATELY!_

_STUPID, STUPID FLOWERS! _Kaoru combated with the blossoms that had just been swept into her hair with the second gust of wind. She looked up, hearing Kenshin coughing. 

"Kenshin, are you all right?" she paused from her battle with the sakuras.

"Gack! Agh…uh *cough* just fine…AHEM!" he pounded himself on the chest. "I'm just fine, Kaoru-dono."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I, uh, was just thinking that perhaps we should go to bed separa—uh, that we should go to bed soon…that we should," Kenshin offered, flustered.

"Oh, well, I guess you're right." Kaoru took a final sip of tea, draining her cup. Standing up, she stretched and yawned. "Could you lay out the pallets, Kenshin?"

"Hai, of course, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin stood and walked over to the pile of blankets. He picked up the strange dark object on top. It was a jug.

"Kenshin, what is that?"

He uncorked the jug and sniffed at the opening. "It's…sake."

Kaoru turned. "Sake? What for I wonder…?"

Kenshin set the jug down. "Maybe it was in case we didn't like the tea."

"Maybe."

Kenshin bent over the pile and picked up the first blanket. Standing, he snapped it open, sending sakura petals flying upwards into the air. He looked over to Kaoru, who had turned her back to him, and inhaled sharply at the sight that met his eyes. 

Kaoru reached up to the indigo ribbon that held her hair in its familiar high tail. With a tug, she released the dark strands, which fell gracefully like a curtain of silk, nearly to her waist. Her hair shimmered in the pale moonlight as she ran her fingers through it, ridding herself of more sakura petals and searching for tangles. _I should remember to start carrying a comb with me. Then again, it's not everyday that you get locked away in a cold storage house completely separated from all your personal belongings…_Suddenly, she dropped her hands to her sides, feeling a warmth at her back. Gentle fingers threaded themselves through her hair, pulling slowly downward, combing through the blue-black strands. _Kenshin…_His fingers trailed through her hair, just barely touching her neck, ghosting down her back. She closed her eyes, afraid to breathe and break the spell.

"Kaoru…" His voice was a low, throaty whisper.

Hesitantly she turned to face him, wide blue eyes meeting unreadable violet ones. He held a hand out to her. "You missed one…that you did." 

Kaoru looked down. In his open palm rested a perfectly formed sakura blossom. She shivered as she reached out to take it, her fingers caressing his skin as she did so. She smiled, blushing. "Thank you." _I LOVE SAKURA BLOSSOMS!_

Kenshin only smiled in return, and turned back to the blankets. Kaoru dreamily finished combing her hair, then braided it neatly. The night hadn't turned out so badly after all!

"Oro…"

Kaoru's back stiffened. She knew what that word meant…it meant a problem…some unexpected problem…something to ruin a night that had already had enough things wrong with it. Warily she faced Kenshin, who stood beside a pallet, two blankets in hand. He looked at her like a rabbit under the scrutiny of a wolf.

"Kaoru-dono…ah…"

"Yes, Kenshin?" Her voice was deceptively calm, her eyes were dangerous.

"There's olliwupallot…" he mumbled, instinctively backing away.

"There's _what?_"

He bowed his head defeatedly. "There's…only one pallet." His voice died to a whimper. "That there is."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

*******************************************************************

*Yes, this is actually a way of checking someone's temperature.

A/N: Well, there you have it! A nice, big, fat juicy update!!! Hehehe…Where oh WHERE am I gonna go with THIS?! ::grins evilly:: READ AND REVIEW ONEGAI!!! It helps keep those creative juices flowing!!!!! Oh, and in case anyone's interested, I hope to have my new Aoshi/Misao fanfic up sometime tomorrow night! Keep your eyes peeled, I'm really excited about this one! Ja!

   


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